confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of confusing

confusion of the issue

2

a

: the quality or state of being confused

Try to relieve their confusion.

mental confusion

b

: a confused mass or mixture

a confusion of voices

confusional

kən-ˈfyüzh-nəl 

-ˈfyü-zhə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• bewilderment
• confusedness
• discombobulation
• distraction
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• tangle
• whirl

Examples of confusion in a Sentence

There is still some confusion as to the time of the meeting.

There is a great deal of confusion about how the system works.

the anxieties and confusions of teenage life

He stared in confusion and disbelief.

There was total confusion when the truck hit the restaurant.

Recent Examples on the Web

Right back in the vortex of confusion where doubt always feels like the default setting. —Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024

These symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, confusion, loss of balance or seizures. —Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2024

Common signs of low blood sugar include shakiness, confusion, and blurred vision. —Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 29 Oct. 2024

There’s an element of confusion today, which means your best option is to work hard. —Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confusioun "ruin, disgrace, disorder," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French confusiun, borrowed from Latin confūsiōn-, confūsiō "mixing, combining, disorder, consternation," from confud-, variant stem of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at confound

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of confusing

2

: the quality or state of being confused

her confusion was obvious

Medical Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

: disturbance of consciousness characterized by inability to engage in orderly thought or by lack of power to distinguish, choose, or act decisively

confusional

-zhnəl, -zhən-ᵊl 

adjective

Legal Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion

1

in the civil law of Louisiana : a uniting of two interests or rights in property into one compare merger sense 1

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : the termination of an obligation by a person acquiring the right from which the obligation arose

3

: the mixing or blending together of goods or commodities so that the individual owners cannot identify their own property

called also confusion of goods